Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Pride and Prejudice,
Sense and Sensibility, Emma...these titles conjure up a romantic world
of rolling English countrysides, elegant balls, noble gentlemen, and
headstrong gentlemen's daughters. But how much do we know about the
woman who immortalized those times and names like Mr. Darcy and Miss
Elizabeth Bennett? Growing up in a clergyman's home gave Jane Austen
opportunities to watch human nature at its best--and worst. Drawing from
historical sources as well as her own keen imagination, Christy
Award-winner Nancy Moser transports readers inside the life and times of
the literary world's most beloved heroine. Known for her moving and
unique Mozart's Sister, Nancy Moser brings to life the mind and wit of
Jane Austen--the loves, disappointments, and victories that shaped the
novels that have remained popular for nearly two hundred years.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Seven years ago, Julia
McKenzie rejected the man she loved, wanting to experience more of life.
Now, at the age of twenty-four, she regrets that decision. What will
Seth think of her, when they encounter one another hundreds of miles
from home? Will the man she cared for understand the direction her life
has taken and love her in spite of her choices?

Pastor Seth
Russell has never completely forgotten the girl he once courted. When
she shows up in his new home of Baker City, all those feelings return.
But why is she sneaking around town late at night? Even more important,
will she reject him and break his heart again, or can God heal the
breach between them?

My Review

This novella is part of the Love Blossoms in Oregon series which I have enjoyed (see my review of Wishing on Buttercups). Pastor Seth makes appearances in the first two books of the series and I was so excited to read his story. I had a hard time relating to Julia- the introduction of her backstory was vague about why she jilted Seth and the intensity of her regret was inconsistent throughout the book. She ran hot and cold with him as their relationship began to redevelop, and could only see her situation in black and white- either isolate herself from society in order to serve the Chinese immigrants, or give up her charitable endeavor altogether if she ever wants a normal life. While she wanted to make a difference and fight prejudice, she was also judgmental of others who weren't as passionate as she. I liked the scenes where the characters from the previous novels get to know Julia and help her overcome her internal struggles and find peace. The "villian" in the story was Mrs. Evans, a busybody from Seth's church who didn't approve of Julia. I thought she was portrayed very over the top; she became a caricature. It bothered me that both Seth and Julia used the phrase "Mrs. Evans and her ilk" during their inner dialogues. Seth and Julia are both repetitive as they agonize over the choices in front of them which prevented the story from flowing smoothly for me.

I've read wonderful reviews from others who really enjoyed this novella, so please don't let my hang-ups prevent you from reading it if you are a fan of the series! I am looking forward to the third book, Dreaming on Daisies, which releases later this year.

Karen and Val are
family-yet they’re anything but close. Karen has carried the burden of
responsibility for her aging mother ever since her gorgeous sister left
town years ago to pursue a career in theater. But Val had darker reasons
for leaving town-as well as a secret to keep-and coming home has never
been an option . . . until their mother suffers a stroke.Reunited in
their hometown, Karen and Val must grapple with their past mistakes,
their relationship with each other, and their issues with a mother who
is far from ideal. When a physical therapist raising his daughter alone
and a handsome but hurting musician enter the picture, the summer takes
on a whole new dimension. As their lives intersect and entwine, can each
learn how to forgive, how to let go, and how to move on? And
strengthened by the healing power of faith, might they also find the
courage to love?With her trademark compelling characters and
heartwarming hope, fan favorite Irene Hannon offers her readers an
inspiring true-to-life tale of complex family relationships,
transgressions revealed and forgiven, and the complicated process of
finding love.

Friday, April 25, 2014

When Meg Cole’s father
dies unexpectedly, she becomes the majority shareholder of his oil
company and the single inheritor of his fortune. Though Meg is
soft-spoken and tenderhearted–more interested in art than in oil–she’s
forced to return home to Texas and to Whispering Creek Ranch to take up
the reins of her father’s empire.The last thing she has the patience
or the sanity to deal with? Her father’s thoroughbred racehorse farm.
She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.Bo’s
determined to resent the woman who’s decided to rob him of his dream.
But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to
protect. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome
every obstacle that separates them–her wealth, his unworthiness, her
family’s outrage–and earn the right to love her.But just when Meg
begins to realize that Bo might be the one thing on the ranch worth
keeping, their fragile bond is viciously broken by a force from Meg’s
past. Can their love–and their belief that God can work through every
circumstance–survive?

When Dashti, a maid, and
Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years for
Saren’s refusal to marry a man she despises, the two prepare for a very
long and dark imprisonment.

As food runs low and the days go from
broiling hot to freezing cold, it is all Dashti can do to keep them fed
and comfortable. But the arrival outside the tower of Saren’s two
suitors—one welcome, and the other decidedly less so—brings both hope
and great danger, and Dashti must make the desperate choices of a girl
whose life is worth more than she knows.

With Shannon Hale’s
lyrical language, this forgotten but classic fairy tale from the
Brothers Grimm is reimagined and reset on the central Asian steppes; it
is a completely unique retelling filled with adventure and romance,
drama and disguise.

Enna and Princess Isi
became fast friends in The Goose Girl, but after Isi married Prince
Geric, Enna returned to the forest. Enna's simple life changes forever
when she learns to wield fire and burn anything at will. Enna is
convinced that she can use her ability for good-to fight Tira, the
kingdom threatening the Bayern borders-and goes on secret raids to set
fire to the Tiran camps and villages. But as the power of the fire grows
stronger, she is less able to control her need to burn. In her
recklessness she is captured by the Tiran army and held captive by a
handsome, manipulative young captain who drugs her to keep her under his
influence. Can Isi and her old friends Finn and Razo rescue her without
sacrificing themselves? And with the fire still consuming her, will
Enna find a way to manage the gift that threatens to destroy her?

Set at Nashville's
historic Belle Meade Plantation, the most influential thoroughbred stud
farm in America's history, To Whisper Her Name weaves the struggles of
real people of the post-war South with the journeys of a man and a woman
scarred by betrayal.

Olivia Aberdeen, destitute widow of a man
shot as a traitor to the South, is shunned by proper society and
gratefully accepts an invitation from "Aunt" Elizabeth Harding, mistress
of Belle Meade Plantation. Expecting to be the Harding's head
housekeeper, Olivia is disillusioned when she learns the real reason
Elizabeth's husband, Confederate General William Giles Harding, agreed
to her coming. Not finding the safe haven she expects, Olivia is caught
off guard by her feelings for Ridley Adam Cooper, a Southern man who
seems anything but a Southern gentleman.

Branded a traitor by
some, Ridley Cooper, a Southern son who chose to fight for the Union, is
a man desperate to end the war still raging inside him. Determined to
learn "the gift" that Belle Meade's head horse trainer and former slave,
Bob Green, possesses, Ridley harbors secrets that threaten both their
lives.

As Ridley seeks to make peace within himself for
"betraying" the South he loved, Olivia is determined to never be
betrayed again.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

The War Between the
States stole a father and brother from Faith Lindberg-- as well as Royal
Baxter, the man she wanted to marry. With only her grandfather left,
she dreams of leaving Noble Springs, Missouri, and traveling west to
Oregon to start a new life, away from the memories that haunt her. But
first she must convince her grandfather to sell the family's mercantile
and leave a town their family has called home for generations. When
Royal Baxter suddenly returns to town, Faith allows herself to hope that
her dreams might come true. Does he truly love her? Or could another
man claim her heart? Will she find that following her dreams may not
mean leaving home after all? The characters in "Where Wildflowers
Bloom" jump off the page and into the reader's heart. Author Ann Shorey
infuses her characters with the virtues and quirks that bring them fully
alive as they search for contentment and love.

Your answers must be submitted to
TameraAlexander@ymail.com(numbered
1 - 6)by
Sunday, April 27, midnight Central to be entered into a drawing to win one of
seven copies of A Beauty So Rare, the second standalone novel in the
Belmont Mansion series.

Questions for the Pinterest Scavenger Hunt

1.On the A
Beauty So Rare board, find the pin
that shares the seamstress who sewed the dress on the cover of A Beauty So Rare (featuring the heroine, Eleanor Braddock) and *click the
pin* to discover what the seamstress’s most challenging part of making the
pink dress was.

2.On the A
Lasting Impression board,
find the pin where Tamera shares about the desert seasons in her life––those times that helped her write
about a certain relationship in her novel, A Beauty So Rare. *Click the pin* to learn what specific relationship Tamera
mentions in that blog. It’s the relationship between which
two people?

3.On theMy Novels board, find the pin where Tamera shares about the inspiration
behind A Beauty So Rare. *Click it* and watchthevideo
to learn the true history that ties the Belmont Mansion (the setting ofA Lasting ImpressionandA Beauty So Rare) to the real Insane Asylum that existed in Nashville in
the 19th century.

4.On the Recipes from my
novels board, what's the
recipe from A Beauty So Rare
that’s posted about most often on that board (doesn't
necessarily havethemost re-pins)? It's also a favorite
of Eleanor's.

5.On the My Loves board,
find the pin that references Easter weekend then *click it* to learn what kind
of fish Tamera caught this past weekend.

6.On the My Novels board,
find the pin for the book trailer for A Beauty So Rare,
then *click it* to watch the video. What is it that Aunt Adelicia is determined
to find for Eleanor?

Monday, April 21, 2014

The train to Garber,
Texas, is supposed to bring life's next victory to Nicholas Lovelace.
Instead, it gets held up by robbers who are thwarted by the last person
Nick ever expected--Anne Tillerton from back home in Prairie Lea.

Anne’s
been hiding away as a buffalo hunter. She’s only in Garber to find
their runaway cook, but the woman flees--leaving Anne with her infant
son. With Nick the only person Anne knows in Garber, the two form an
unlikely team as they try to figure out what to do with the child.

But
being in town means acting and dressing for polite society--and it's
not going well for Anne. Meanwhile, Nick's work is bringing new
pressures, and being seen with a rough-around-the-edges woman isn't
helping his reputation. Caught between their own dreams, a deepening
relationship, and others' expectations, can the pair find their way to
love?

My Review

I had a preconceived idea about Anne's character based on the cute book cover... and was in for a surprise as I read about her past experiences of abuse and the way she coped. She's definitely a complex character and did a lot of growing as she became attached to Sammy, the child she cared for, and Nick, the man she unwillingly depended on. Nick is polar opposite of Anne's persona- immaculately dressed, flawless manners, and involved with society because of the effect it had on his business.

I loved how protective Nick is of Anne as he helps her manage being in town and caring for someone else's child. He sees through her rough exterior and walls she puts up to prevent being hurt. She keeps him on his toes and challenges his faith as she is searching for her own. The ending was great and I look forward to reading more by this author!

Marty Dandridge Olson is
a widow looking for a way out of Texas. Widower Jake Wythe has secured a
job as a bank manager in Denver, only to discover that the bank board
wants him to be a married man. With Texas in his roots, he advertises
for a Lone Star bride, and Marty answers the call. They both agree they
are done with romance and love and will make this nothing more than a
marriage of convenience.Marty works to carve out a new life in
high-society Denver as Jake works to guide the bank through a collapsing
economy. But when money goes missing at the bank and accounting
discrepancies point to Jake, he must find a way to prove his innocence.
Yet all he wants to do is go back to Texas and own his own ranch. Marty,
on the other hand, owns a ranch–one she’s never told her husband about.
She hates Texas because it represents the losses in her life. But as
the couple grows closer and love begins to bloom, Marty realizes she
needs to tell Jake the truth. Can she come to terms with the past and
her anger toward God in order to make room for love?

My Review

I enjoy reading marriage of convenience stories. It puts the main characters in close quarters and unusual situations while they get to know each other and figure out how to do life together. This novel was a bit different in that Marty and Jake instantly get along well and are attracted to each other, but don't communicate or act on their feelings for a long time. They also don't spend much time together since Jake is so busy at work. The history of Colorado with the silver mining and financial collapse was interesting and highly focused on with Jake's involvement in the banking industry, but the book ended while that storyline was at a peak and felt like there was no resolution for their future plans. Since this is the first book in a series perhaps the author plans to continue where she left off.

Rachel Yoder has two
choices: marry Gabriel Fisher or move to Ohio. As an orphan, Rachel
doesn’t have much to offer; any match she can make will be a good one.
She just didn’t plan on Gabriel with his big hands and permanent frown.

As
a widower Gabriel needs help caring for the farm and his six
children. But he never thought he’d marry a slip of a girl who barely
reaches his chin.

Yet as time passes, Gabriel finds himself
thinking about a real marriage. They have spoken vows to God and each
other, but can he risk his heart with Rachel?

My Review

There is a wonderful ensemble of characters featured in this novel, each with distinct personalities. My favorite was Gabriel's young son Samuel, who has Down's Syndrome but seems high functioning. He is so sweet and is the one that helps Rachel feel welcome in her new family... which offsets the pranks of two other sons who are conflicted about their new mother. Gabriel was hard to understand, but his flaws are realistic, I'm sure. He didn't do a very good job welcoming his new wife or romancing her after he fell in love. The chemistry and communication was lacking in their relationship, which affected how much I enjoyed reading about it. Overall it's a sweet story with a happy ending.

For Monica Scott,
building her late father’s house at Lake Tahoe isn’t an option—it’s a
necessary distraction from confusing memories and an uncertain future.
But a handsome planner working for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
(TRPA) is keeping Monica from moving forward with the project. Never
mind that he’s young and charming with a great sense of humor. No one is
going to stop Monica from making her father’s dream—and her own—a
reality.

All Greg Linsey wants is for his work to mean something.
His job at TRPA gives him the opportunity to fight for the environment
he loves and make a difference in his small corner of the world. But
with the sophisticated Monica Scott’s arrival, his dedication is tested
as never before, especially when Monica turns to his unscrupulous
nemesis for assistance.

As Greg and Monica’s animosity turns into
something far sweeter, can they learn to accept each other’s promises
and avoid the growing danger to their lives and hearts?

Boston, MA 1773: Shards
of Eliza Campbell's life crash to the ground when she discovers a
devastating secret: her father was a spy for the Sons of Liberty.
Determined to uncover the truth--at any cost--not even a marriage
proposal from the dashing British Officer Samuel Martin can dissuade
her. When rescued from British capture by handsome patriot Thomas
Watson, Eliza discovers what her father risked his life for and yearns
to know more. But will her budding attraction to this courageous patriot
damage her already wounded heart?

After years of being
blackmailed by Officer Martin, Thomas plans to start a new life in the
small town of Sandwich. However, when his actions place Eliza and her
sister in danger, he must act quickly to protect them from falling into
enemy hands. If the three of them are discovered, their lives will never
be the same. Now, not only must he protect Eliza, he must protect his
heart from a love that is sure to wound him far greater than any British
soldier ever could.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Pediatric
nurse, Jennifer O’Reilly returns home to Hawk Ridge, Colorado to
establish a mountain recreation camp as a safe adventure for children
battling cancer. Her path to ownership depends on developing a
profitable business plan to convince the bank she can manage not only
the camping facility, but the entire Trails’ End Ranch operation.

Generations
earlier, one misplayed hand of poker lost the family ranch, and Zac
Davidson, youngest son and financial genius of the Circle D, wants it
back. Intrigued since childhood by the legend of his great grandfather,
Zac is the only family member who holds out hope that one day the
Trails’ End would become Davidson property again. When the Trails’ End
goes on the market, cost is no object — only Jennifer O’Reilly stands
between Zac and his dream.

Once high school sweethearts,
Jennifer and Zac have wounded each other, and the scars run deep.
Jennifer is forced to reveal a secret she’s protected for twelve years.
Will it jeopardize the future of both of their dreams or offer them a
second chance?

Friday, April 18, 2014

Kate Dearing’s life is
turned upside down when her father loses everything in a railroad land
speculation and she and her brother are shipped off to their mother’s
brother, Sir Anthony, in England with one edict: marry money.

Though
their uncle tries to ensure Kate finds matrimonial prospects only among
the highest echelon of British society, her attentions stray to the one
of the least eligible people at her uncle’s home—the garden designer.

Trying
to push her feelings for the handsome—but not wealthy—man aside, Kate’s
prospects brighten when a friend of Sir Anthony’s, a wealthy viscount,
shows favorable interest in her. But will marrying for the financial
security of her family be the right thing to do, when her heart is
telling her she’s making a mistake?

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

As a member of the
North Cascades Smokejumpers, Alexia Allen always takes care of the
equipment that keeps her safe. So when she nearly dies in a fire due to
equipment failure, she knows something is up. Ordered to take time off
while the investigation continues, Alexia makes a last-minute decision
to recuperate at her mother's home and attend her high school reunion.
Yet trouble seems to be following her, and within hours of arriving home
she's involved with murder, arson--and a handsome detective. But the
conflicts ahead are nothing compared to the ghosts of her past. As she
strives to remember and forgive her family history, she must also decide
if the secret she's been guarding for the last ten years must finally
come to light.

Chock-full of the suspense and romantic tension readers have come to expect from Lynette Eason, When the Smoke Clears is the explosive first book in the Deadly Reunions series.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Upon receiving an
unusual package in the mail, Ekaterina "Kat" Moore boards a plane to
Russia, her ancestral home, to seek some answers. What she finds leads
her on a perilous journey through time as Kat must flee the Russian
underground. To further complicate matters, she finds herself falling in
love with FSB Captain Vadeem Spasonov, a man trying to forget the
nightmares of his own past. When Kat's secrets lead to the answers
Vadeem needs, the treasures they find unleash an avalanche of God's
design.

Caught up in a
whirlwind of religious enthusiasm, Alyce Benson impetuously pledges
three thousand dollars to mission work in Africa. Now she just has to
find a way to get the money.

Alyce harbors a secret passion for
speed and automobiles, and she's spent many an afternoon driving around
the rustic track in the field behind her home. When she discovers that
her father's company has sponsored a racing car that will compete in
several upcoming events--races in which the driver will be paid and
could win as much as five thousand dollars in prize money--she conspires
with her father's mechanic, Webster, to train and compete.

But
when her friends cast aspersions on Webster's past, she realizes she may
have trusted the wrong person with her secret. Will Alyce come up with
the money in time, or will she have to choose between her hasty promise
and the man who holds a piece of her heart?

I'm excited to be able to share with you a bonus feature from a book I recently read and gave five stars- A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander! The author shares below the recipe for a dish the heroine makes for her ailing father since it is his favorite... although one of her pies suffers an dismal fate...

If you haven't checked out this book yet I highly recommend it! It was a pleasure to read :)

Most people think
quiche originated in France. Not so. It’s originally a German dish and people
referred to them as "savory custards" in the 19th century. Which is
accurate since the egg-based mixture forms a luscious-like custard as it bakes.

In my novel, A Beauty So Rare, the second standalone novel in the Belmont
Mansion series, the heroine, Eleanor Braddock, is "a cook with a
dream." But her dreams don’t quite turn out like she thinks they will.
However, her savories always do!

I hope you enjoy this
recipe (or "receipt" as recipes were called in the 1800s) from A Beauty So Rare. For more about A Beauty So Rare and for recipes from
all my novels, visit www.TameraAlexander.com.

Ingredients

1 old-fashioned unbaked pie crust (recipe
below)

1 large onion, diced (or sliced if you
like larger pieces of onion in your savory)

Sautéonion in the butter in
a skillet over medium-low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is
golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Chop the ham into
bite-sized pieces (or fry your bacon until chewy, then chop). Set aside to
cool. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out pie crust and press into a deep
dish pie plate. A medium-sized iron skillet works wonderfully for making a
savory custard (and is what Eleanor used). The crust comes out divine. I
just happened to use a pie plate this time.

Whip the eggs, cream,
salt and pepper in a large bowl, then mix in the onions, ham (or bacon), and
cheese. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Cover the pie plate (or skillet)
lightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue
baking for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the quiche is set and the crust is golden
brown. QUICK BAKING TIPS: The quiche may still seem a little loose when you
first remove it from the oven, but it will firm up nicely once removed from the
heat. Also, watch that lovely crust so the edges don’t get overly brown. I use a silicone pie crust
shield if that starts to happen. Those are a fabulous invention (but foil
crimped around the edges works just as well).

Remove from the oven
and allow the savory custard to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before diving in. It’s so
good, and just like Eleanor Braddock would make. It’s
also delicious left over and warmed up the next day.

This is a wonderful
crust that I’ve been using for years. Eleanor would likely have used lard in
place of Crisco (since lard was cheaper than butter in her day), and you may
too, if you prefer. Yes, lard is still available on most grocery shelves,
although I’m pretty sure I just felt you shudder!

This pie crust
"freezes beautifully " as they say in Steel Magnolias (instructions
on freezing below), so even though I may need only one pie crust at the moment,
I always use this recipe and make a second, and freeze it for later. Makes that
next pie (or savory custard) go twice as fast!

1 ½cups Crisco (or lard)

3 cups all-purpose
flour

1 egg

5 tablespoons ice water

1 tablespoon white
vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, using
a pastry cutter (or two knives will do the job), gradually work the Crisco into
the flour for 3 to 4 minutes until it resembles coarse meal. In a smaller bowl,
whip the egg and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5
tablespoons of ice-cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of
salt. Stir gently until all ingredients are blended well.

Halve the dough. Form
the 2 evenly-sized balls of dough and place each into large sealable plastic bags. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each
to about 1/2 inch thickness to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and
place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you’re
using the crusts immediately, it’s still a good idea to let them chill in the
freezer for about 15- 20 minutes. They’ll be much easier to work with.)

When you’re
ready to roll the dough for your crust, remove from the freezer and allow to
thaw for 15 minutes (if it’s frozen). On a well-floured surface, roll
the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. Sprinkle flour over
the top of the dough if it’s too moist. If the
dough starts to stick to the countertop, use a metal spatula and gently scrape
it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½inch larger in diameter than your pie plate
(or iron skillet).

Using a spatula, carefully
lift the dough from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. (I sometimes
fold my well-floured dough in half and then "unfold" it onto iron skillet.
Or you can lop it over your rolling pin. That works well, too.) Gently press
the dough against the sides of the pan or skillet, getting it all tucked in. Then
crimp the edges in whatever way you prefer. And now, you’re
ready for that yummy savory custard filling above, or maybe for a fruit pie.

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